8 more plus 3 rounds

That's all I have left and it's due tomorrow before 11:59 p.m. EST - have mercy, I will not fail!!

Little goals this week.

There are a few things that I need to finish before Friday of this week so I figured if I would list them, it would make me be held accountable... so here it is, my list of little goals.

1. I'm going to finish this - it's actually due on the 28th for Nerd Wars as my Dissertation.  I am bound, bit and determined to finish it... because I've never missed a deadline in my entire Nerd Wars time.

I haven't touched it since I hit the halfway mark - lots of late night work is going to happen!

2. Making a batch of Christmas cookies to put out for Santa on Tuesday.
3. Dust and vacuum house in preparation for Santa.
4. Organize ideas for Winter term over at Hogwarts.  So far, I am toying with doing an OWL.  I have the yarn and everything but I'm debating on whether or not I'm going to do it now because I know that once I'm done with my Dissertation, my hand might need time to recuperate.  I'm currently in negotiations with myself that if I do one - an OWL or a Dissertation - that I can't do the other.  I might reach a settlement this week because I've offered myself some pretty solid arguments.

I even have my proposal all written out and modifications listed.  I'm thinking it's a go, don't you?

5.  Find Hobbit a new doctor.  I'm looking for an actual pediatrician instead of an osteopath, which is harder than you might think around here.  In Florida, there is a very heavy DO population and we tried them but obviously they aren’t cutting it since I’m no further along than when I started sans my own research and Hobbit is getting worse. Finding a true MD in these parts is not easy but I think I may have found one and he isn’t all the way in Tampa so that’s a bonus. I’m going to call on Monday for an appointment for her on Friday… hopefully it will all work out fine.
6. Make some Christmas cupcakes because everyone needs a cupcake on Christmas day - even the oddballs who don't like sweets.
7. Get the laundry caught up and away so that it isn't mocking me over the holidays.
8. Toss all of the icky ornaments that I didn't like and didn't use this year when I go to put it all away on the 26th.  We are going to get a smaller tree for next year so what we currently have on the tree will be perfect - no sense keeping things we don't like.  This will free up some space in the garage as well.

Smaller, colored lights and fuller - that's the direction we're headed.

9. Take Hobbit to go see "Les Miserables" one afternoon while she's on break.
10. Try very hard to keep my wits during the holiday break - mess won't kill me as long as it's picked up before bed.  Mess won't kill me as long as it's picked up before bed.  Mess won't kill me as long as it's picked up before bed. - I'm practicing my mantra so that I don't go mad.

That's a nice list of things to get done in a week's time.  I think I'll check back in on Saturday, the 30th, to see how I did.  I'm hoping to say I got them all crossed off!

Crazy days

Yeah, that's crocheted lace and a pattern!

Oh my goodness - what a crazy few days I've had.  I have another crazy few in front of me too!  I have been lazy, crafting, eating, baking, cooking, reading and watching movies for the past few days.  Actually, I guess I could take lazy out because I have been doing stuff... even working my first crochet pattern off the actual pattern - it's amazing and hopefully I'll be done tonight or tomorrow.

Currently, my online life has been off the charts.  It is Sorting Week over in our Harry Potter group on Ravelry and let me tell you, if you are a part of this group then I think you should be a minion just once.  It is such an amazing experience.  I love it!  We also got our staff assignments, both in our houses and in the castle.  I'll be continuing my role as a Mentor for the students who wander in and don't get sorted - teaching them the ropes and ways around the castle.  It is my calling to do this job, I swear.  It's a blast and a half.  I've also headed home to Hufflepuff where I am the cete mama for the Honey Badgers!  Yep, over the moon for that role too.  Switching over to the Nerd Wars side of things, we are wrapping up the final round of Tournament 6.  My team, Club 33, is currently in second place and we are doing an awesome job.  I may not care much for some aspects of the tournament but there is one thing I will always love and that is my team.  The players we have are so stinking sweet and funny and kind.  I love them.

Tomorrow is my birthday and we were going to go back to Disney for the day but my throat is bothering me today and Hobbit is home because she is barking like a seal with her allergies.  Asthma has been uncooperative for both of us so I think it best if we just stick close to home.  Who knows, maybe we'll go ice skating at the mall instead... or play putt putt... or find something equally as magical to do with the weekend.  Pokey is off so either way, I'll be happy because I'll have everyone who can be home at home.

Time to get back to Sorting... I hope everyone is having as magical a day as I am!

Waiting...

That's all I've been doing today... at least that is what it feels like.  I had to go to the doctor's office this morning and I spent a good two hours waiting there.  I was so over it by the time I got back to see him that I flat out told him that I was fed up feeling like crap and still not having any answers.  I even told him all about the awful woman who was supposed to do my Nerve Conduction Test on Saturday but refused after keeping us waiting for an hour because she didn't feel that I had been in pain long enough for there to be enough nerve damage for her to assess... seriously, she said this to me and I was less than pleased.  Needless to say, he gave me another referral to a different neurologist so who knows what will come of it all now.

After that debacle, I took my car to get a patch put on the rear driver's side.  I made a point to ask how long it would take because I was exhausted and so was Hobbit.  We were told "30 minutes tops"... two and a half hours later we were able to pay our bill and head home.

So I'm thinking that the old adage about "time is money" doesn't mean diddly to most people any more.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a constantly on the go kind of girl but I do like things done in a timely manner.  If someone wants or needs something from me, I make sure to do it in a timely manner for them so they don't have to wonder, worry or wait.  Plus, it's nice to make people happy by getting stuff to them like they asked... just look around a waiting room some time, not many happy campers there.

My wish is to just once, actually be seen at my appointment time or have something get finished within the time quoted - I lost my day due to other people's inability to handle theirs.. and well, that's just not fair.

Sorry for the whining... waiting wears me out.  Here's gratuitous WiP shot for putting up with it.  This was to be my Order of the Phoenix blanket but I end up hurting so badly that I know I won't be able to finish it in six days.  I admitted defeat but on the upside, it is also my Dissertation so I've got another month to redeem myself with it!

Ravelry project page - Fortifications

That's all it takes

I have made progress... I mean major progress.  This fact has me tickled.  You see, I opted to make this one particular granny square blanket and I loved the color combination too... but for some reason, I was just hating the blanket.  It wasn't working for me and I kept putting it up.  Considering that I am using this blanket as my BROOM and my Dissertation, I needed to get a fire under my tail and get to work.  So I sat down and really examined my squares and it hit me - it's too freaking busy!

I know that sounds crazy but there is something about my earthy color palette that makes my blanket feel very spastic and disorganized and that in turn made me feel uneasy.  Not as in "oh I'm not sure" but as in a full blown physical unrest when it came to this project.  It needed to be grounded in some way and I figured it out.

I'm going to anchor it with cream squares at the intersections and solid squares down the middle.  That lowers the chaos factor by a million and I've fallen in love with my blanket again.  So much so that I'm getting off of here right now to go and work on it some more!

I'll update my Ravelry project page tonight so you can see how well this anchoring works!

Sometimes, a little reimagineering is all it takes to make it work.

Weekend Wonderment ~ 10/19 - 10/23

Plugging away on my two huge projects... even though they don't feel like I've made much progress

OWLs, BROOMs and Dissertations - Oh my!  That's what my weekend will be filled with this time... that and a much needed trip over to the Magic Kingdom.  Things have been a bit crazy around here and we've all decided that we need a break... and when we say "break", we mean we all want to go to Walt Disney World.

So that is just what we're going to do.

Random milestone for me... this is my 888 post - and 8 is my lucky number so leave a comment on here about what you like to do when you need a break and I'll draw a surprise winner in 8 days.  Good luck!!

Weekend Wonderment ~ 10/12 - 10/14

Looks like my weekend is a 'work in progress'.

I have already earned a base of at least 245 points for the month of October over at HPKCHC, which is 52 points more than I earned in September, so I feel comfortable pulling out my WIPs for the weekend.

1. My OWL has reached that point where you do a complete a round and it's taking forever.  I have to have it finished by the end of next month so it's best to push through it now, a little at a time, instead of 'having' to work on it non-stop of several nights.
2. My holiday bunting.  I could not find a pattern that I liked for this so I made up my own.  It is coming out exactly as I had envisioned and I've been keeping superb notes so that I can write it up and share with y'all when I'm done.  It's also my last category for the month over in Nerd Wars, as I've already answered the other 5 earlier last week.
3. My B.R.O.O.M. / Dissertation needs one more big block and then 31 more smaller blocks and a boarder.  This project has two completely different deadlines so it should be interesting to see how it goes.

That's my plan for the weekend... to weave in some loose ends, so to speak.

Blessings returned

Remember that awesome swap package I received early last week?  Mine has finally arrived at the recipient's house so I can share with y'all what I sent.  I admit, I was floundering on this one since there wasn't any theme.  I had no direction and felt lost... until I sat down and realized that was my problem and just gave myself a theme.  I went with Autumn and here is what I sent to my swap partner...

My swap buddy is a baker so I thought she could use some pretty new oven mitts...

and kitchen towels because I know mine are always missing!

We had to have a local item so I did the best I could with what I could find that wasn't too kitschy.

Autumn smells like apple cinnamon to me, what about you?

Everyone loves a jar full of candy corn... don't they?

She has two little people so I added these cuties for them.

She also loves to cross-stitch and I thought this little message was wonderful and always so true.

4 Ring Pops... 4 people in her family... score!

Fun bedtime story to read to her babies during the cooler months.

I made her this cute hat.  It reminds me of a baker's hat a little bit but way classier.

and I made a matching ornament for her Christmas tree... being a baker, a cupcake works.

I wrote her a little note too - just to say how fabulous she is...

Complete with some official Walt Disney World pixie dust from my personal stash.

There you have it - my swap box.  She says she loved it all - and that makes me very tickled indeed.

And so it begins

May 2011 - the last time they were together

Tournament 6 started today and everyone is all a flutter with ideas and preparations for their projects.  It is also the start of the November round over in HPKCHC so there is double the amount of excitement for some of us.  Larger projects are being proposed and others have been given the green light to begin.

To add to my excitement of today, I'm surprising Hobbit after school.  My folks came in town yesterday but she doesn't know.  The last thing she heard was that Nana and Pop would be here on Wednesday - but my daddy was able to get a few extra days off so they left early.  Today, when Hobbit gets off the bus, she will have the most wonderful surprise of seeing my folks there with me.  I'm going to take my camera, in hopes of capturing the sheer joy on her face when she sees them.

Isn't it amazing how something as simple as seeing a loved one will turn the day magical.

True Winners

Proud day for Club 33!!

We did it!  We worked so hard these past three months and look what we accomplished - second place!!  I am so proud of my team and I can't thank them enough for all their hard work and dedication to the tournament. The first place team is an amazing group of players as well and we tip our hat to them.  Last tournament they set the standard and this tournament, they raised the bar.

Goodness and truth shall out!

Just a tad lazy

I missed Sunday Snaps and today is Motivational Monday but I'm not feeling very motivated so I am being lazy - you get a post full of photographic evidence of why I'm being lazy.  I thought it was rather clever...

This is where I was for almost three days because of our AC being broken...

This is our lovely living room which is only lacking pictures for the walls and drapes for the window

This is our fabulous kitchen and dining area that we have been using more now than ever before

This is the big potty - though Hobbit thinks it's hers

This is our room, as seen from the door. It's a super huge room really

This is the view from my side of the bed - it's hard to get the true scope of it in photos but it's big

The smallest potty on in the universe but hey, we've got two so I'm happy

Usually my car is in here but the AC guys said they were coming today...

I made a set of these and turned one in for Flying homework and one in for Detention

I made this for Herbology homework too.

I also got my OWL approved and my B.R.O.O.M. idea was giving a nod and a wink from one of the mission chiefs. I'm going to use that yarn I was sent by my friend a while back.  It will be epic.  I've been keeping up with my staff duties as Slytherin Study Hall assistant, HPKCHC Mentor for the NQFYs and a Quidditch Reserve as well. Not too shabby for only being 3 days into the Fall Term.

The final results for Tournament 5 in Nerd Wars are still being processed so I don't know where we fell out but I do know that my manager, the most amazing girl in the crafting universe, is going to hang out with me for another go because she too believes we are the Dynamic Duo.

See... I can be lazy today because I've been busy and sweaty all week... right?

Small pause

I've been hinting at it but not yet come straight out and said it - we're moving. Initially it wasn't going to be until two years from now, then it wasn't going to be until the beginning of next year and now, it's Saturday.

I've got to take a brief and ever so small of a pause in posting so that I can set up camp at our new house... we're trying to beat a stupid hurricane to boot so no pressure or anything.

Wrapping up Tournament 5 in Nerd Wars, launching Fall Term on Staff at Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup and moving... sure, no worries... none at all.

Weekend Wonderment ~ Nine Old Men edition

I talk all the time about Nerd Wars and how much fun it is... I show projects that I've created and stuff but I've never actually shown you what a true challenge submission looks like and all the work that goes into one. Today that changes.

Below is what I'm working on for the Geek Pride challenge and once I've completed my item, this will be my submission... and I have to say, I am rather proud of it even before I've made the item!

Name: PprmntMochaMama
Team: Club 33
Project: Walt's Nine Old Men

It's still in progress - you can see it grow on my project page though

Craft Used: Crochet
How Does This Answer The Challenge: Walt Disney has been famously quoted as saying "I am in no sense of the word a great artist. I have always had artists working for me whose skills were greater than my own."  These men that he surrounded himself with were affectionately referred to as Walt's Nine Old Men, each now a Disney Legend.

source

These men, along with Walt Disney himself, created such classics as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", "Mickey and the Beanstalk" and "Mary Poppins", just to name a few.  If you have seen a piece of Disney's work from the 1930s through to 1981, then chances are you have seen the work of these "nine old men".  There is a wonderful documentary entitled "From Walt's Table: A Tribute to Disney's Nine Old Men" that was released in 2005 that is well worth a watch.

This square is my crafty interpretation of Walt and his Nine Old Men.  The red center crosses represent each member of group, the white is depicting the beautiful legacy they left behind and the red border is for Walt himself, who held it all together seamlessly.

Team Tie-In: Walt's favorite color was red - well actually, he had two that were his favorites, red and blue but he could never narrow it down any further than that so when asked, he would alternate his answer.  I made this square while sharing classic Mickey Mouse cartoons with my daughter - including my favorite, Boat Builders.


This square would make a great pocket hanky for Mickey while he labored away on the Queen Minnie... and since Walt was the voice of Mickey for so many years, including in this cartoon, the colors are perfect for both of them.

Anyone care to join in the fun in October?  Lots of nerdy goodness to be found over at Nerd Wars - take a look and hopefully I will see you around Lounge soon.

Um, can I have these???

Y'all have heard me say time and again "you don't know if you don't ask" and so when it came my turn to grant a surprise wish simply because someone asked, I was overjoyed.

You see, this past week was Dissertation Check-In for Tournament 5 of Nerd Wars.  My dissertation this time around is two pairs of hexagon boot slippers - one in Hufflepuff colors and one in Slytherin colors.  I cranked out the Hufflepuff pair first because I couldn't resist that happy yellow.  The first slipper I managed to get done the last few days that Hobbit was in school because I knew that once summer hit, my crafting time would be nil... and boy was I right!  Before I knew it, the time had flown by and I needed to crank out my other slipper boot to hit the halfway mark - and I did it with some marathon crafting over the weekend prior to check in, y'all remember?

I love the end result - and apparently there was a fellow Nerd Warrior who felt the same way.  This girl has some crazy mad knitting skills.  She makes the most beautiful shawls that I have ever seen - drop dead gorgeous stuff, I swear.  Things I could only dream about making in a year, she manages to finish in a single round... and they aren't the only things that she turns in for points.  I know, mind blown, right. 

So when this girl utters the phrase "Um, can I have these??? Pretty pretty pretty please? :3 I’m kind of in love." I was honored.  How could I refuse.  I gathered up her address and sent them on their way, along with a surprise or two for good measure.

Like my daddy always says, you don't know if you don't ask...

Weekend Wonderment ~ 7/27 - 7/29

Clockwise from top left: Slytherin slippers, alien yarn, skirt in progress and future present

Lots of yarnie goodness going to take place this weekend because in exactly 4 hours from when I'm writing this - the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics will air and that means I can cast on for the Ravellenic Games... go Team Disney/HPKCHC/Nerd Wars!!!

Ravellenic Games 2012

You can pre-order your pin here

Let me get this out of the way because it has been bothering me for months... I can't stand the new name.  It doesn't make sense, is difficult to pronounce and spell, plus it leaves such a bad taste because of all the nastiness surrounding it and therefore I am having such a hard time getting totally jazzed about it like I usually do.  There, I said it - over, done with, gone... on with the fun.

I have been trying to figure what I am going to do and who will get my submissions.  I went all kinds of crazypants this time around - I'm the Captain of Team Disney, Co-Captain of Team Nerd Wars and a player for Team HPKCHC.  Lots of teams, each meeting a need for me and my uber nerdiness. I plan on making all of my projects tie back into the final round of Tournament 5 for Nerd Wars as well so it's all good there.

My challenge arises in the fact that I don't have a project planned yet for one of my teams!  I have my Slytherin hexagons set up for Team HPKCHC since they are going to be a part of my Nerd Wars Dissertation, I thought it would be nice to share.  I have my Mini Stocking Garland set up for Team Disney since I can turn them in for a challenge or two with Round 3 of Nerd Wars.  They only take me an hour and a half to make one so in reality, I could knock out the entire project I have set up in one go but I probably won't.  Those are awesome projects, right?  So what's the challenge, right?

I have everything tying back into Nerd Wars to the point that I don't have any ideas left as to what I can make for the team!!  I'm out of ideas and needs - making for a very shallow idea pool to swim around in and contemplate my navel.  I honestly have nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nuffin'.

Holiday Hurdles and Modular Medley are all set... but what else do I want or need - any ideas?  I've got today to figure it out... cast on starts at 4 p.m. my time tomorrow! HELP!!

Sunday Snaps

I made an ornament for our Christmas tree...

I received a sweet surprise from one of my Mouseketeers...

I lost ownership of my favorite blanket...

and I'm trying to save my dog from my WIP pile...

one project at a time.

Weekend Wonderment ~ 7/20 - 7/22

Buddy is a tad overwhelmed with my WIPs... I can't say that I blame him either!

Buddy convinced me today that I need to get my tail in gear and get these WIPs down to something less daunting.  I currently have 4 large projects in the works and they all reside next to my chair in their appropriate bags so that I can carry one with me, should there be any downtime.

They aren't long on the WIP list but you're talking to a girl who tries to keep her project list to no more than two.  I currently have one shawl, 2 pairs of boot slippers and one Christmas tree skirt that are nagging me for time.  The constant whining from them has really worn Buddy out... I mean look at him, poor fella.

Yes Buddy, I promise that this weekend I will finish at least one of my WIPs for you.  It's best if I not burden him right now with my planning for the Ravellenic Games... I don't think he could handle it.

Weekend Wonderment ~ 7/13 -7/15

Just a bit of errand running and then nothing but working on this tree skirt...

I'm modifying the pattern to add an additional few rows and a scalloped edge.

Tuesday Tunes

This is the perfect song for today... because this is the perfect project for today...

I finished the round part last night and I've started the squares - isn't it just perfectly me!